The Student Room Group

Joker

Anyone seen the movie Joker?

I watched it last night and felt myself sympathizing so much with the main character. I felt so bad for him struggling with mental health problems and having such a tough life what with his job and being picked on. It makes me think of mental health services in the country today and how often people like Arthur can fall through cracks and it often results in tragedy.

I think he was a bit old to believably be Bruce's nemesis if they were to make another movie, but otherwise I thought it was a pretty good origin story.
Was it any good? I'm thinking of watching it
Reply 2
Original post by katie.weston
Was it any good? I'm thinking of watching it

Yeah I really enjoyed it. Definitely worth a watch. :smile:
Reply 3
I must admit, I am extremely reluctant to watch this movies.

I think Hollywood is truing to rehabilitate the greats villain from the cinema legends: from Darth Vader, Cruella, Maleficent to Hannibal Lecter.

I have a feeling that it's going to be the standard script of a misunderstood villain to whom the world mistreated.

*yawn*
Original post by Pythian
I must admit, I am extremely reluctant to watch this movies.

I think Hollywood is truing to rehabilitate the greats villain from the cinema legends: from Darth Vader, Cruella, Maleficent to Hannibal Lecter.

I have a feeling that it's going to be the standard script of a misunderstood villain to whom the world mistreated.

*yawn*

Maybe it's a standard idea; the villain is misunderstood and mistreated by the world. But I wouldn't say it's a standard script. It's excellently made, and Phoenix gives an exceptional performance.
Reply 5
Original post by anosmianAcrimony
Maybe it's a standard idea; the villain is misunderstood and mistreated by the world. But I wouldn't say it's a standard script. It's excellently made, and Phoenix gives an exceptional performance.


Yeah, I will watch it eventually & see how it goes. Thanks. :smile:

I just miss real villains who are truly evil. Born psychopathic. It's hard to respect a villain once you become their psychiatrist. Most of the movies today seem to be tired old remakes/rehashes of great classics and legends. I am expecting a star wars movie soon on how poor Palpatine was abused as a child!
(edited 2 years ago)
Reply 6
Original post by Pythian
Yeah, I will watch it eventually & see how it goes. Thanks. :smile:

I just miss real villains who are truly evil. Born psychopathic. It's hard to respect a villain once you become their psychiatrist. Most of the movies today seem to be tired old remakes/rehashes of great classics and legends. I am expecting a star wars movie soon on how poor Palpatine was abused as a child!

I see where you're coming from. Like Joker from this movie vs the "watch the world burn" of the Heath Ledger Joker is such a massive difference. The age doesn't work either. But as a guy who takes psych meds and sees professionals, I can really relate to this Joker. I don't know if that's a good thing or not :tongue:
I have mixed feelings about The Joker.

I think it did a good job at highlighting flaws with in the mental health system and society as a whole. The issues that it talked about where real and they effect many many people. I found this aspect of it weirdly comforting.

However I worry that it might add to the public's perception that mentally ill people are violent. I know that there are a handful of cases of extremely unwell people doing terrible things to others and that there are also thoroughly bad people who happen to have a mental illness. The statistics demonstrate that mentally ill people are not generally any more dangerous than sane people.

Whilst watching the joker, I struggled to pick out any symptoms that indicated he had a mental illness. A quick Google search showed me that lots of other people took a similar view.
Reply 8
Original post by Sabertooth
I see where you're coming from. Like Joker from this movie vs the "watch the world burn" of the Heath Ledger Joker is such a massive difference. The age doesn't work either. But as a guy who takes psych meds and sees professionals, I can really relate to this Joker. I don't know if that's a good thing or not :tongue:


Oh yes. I think Joker from the The Dark Knight is probably one of the most cunning and artful villains - with so much psychology involved. He doesn't rob a bank, or kidnap a school girl, or organise a ransom - but instead he forces the protagonist/hero to make choices that are v. difficult. He invites us to break our own moral rules. Do you remember when he planted two bombs on two different ferries with a timer? In reality, the Joker gives us the choice and asks us which path we will take. One of the greatest villains of all time.

On a different note, I think society doesn't really believe that people are born evil. Do you remember the Jamie Bulger's killer Jon Venables drama about him being released some years ago? There was huge conversation and debate about whether kids are born evil (even Question Time). I think Hollywood is absorbing the trope about beaten-down mentally-challenged vs. evil.
Original post by Sabertooth
Anyone seen the movie Joker?

I watched it last night and felt myself sympathizing so much with the main character. I felt so bad for him struggling with mental health problems and having such a tough life what with his job and being picked on. It makes me think of mental health services in the country today and how often people like Arthur can fall through cracks and it often results in tragedy.

I think he was a bit old to believably be Bruce's nemesis if they were to make another movie, but otherwise I thought it was a pretty good origin story.


I watched it when it was first released in cinemas.

Personally, I really liked it. Similarly to you, it made me think about how the system lets down so many like Arthur, and how overall nobody bothers to fix it.

I watched it some time after with my dad and he said he found it boring, but I think he just completely missed the point of the film.
I watched Joker in the cinema when it was out back in 2019, then again at home last year in 4K. Loved it both times. I think it's a stroke of genius that they decided to take inspiration from Martin Scorsese's films Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. Joaquin Phoenix is one of the few actors talented and daring enough to try and match Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight - and both performances stand head and shoulders above all the other Batman villains we have seen on screen so far. Phoenix is amazing in this movie. All the awards were well-deserved.
I watched it in the cinema when it was first out (around October 2019?) and absolutely loved it. Couldn't get enough of the dancing on the steps scene as well; I think the freedom and suave of Arthur at that point made him quite desirable and inspirational really, and that aided the sympathy.

Great film, although I'm not sure if I'd watch it again. It seems like one where the story unfolding is a big part of why you'd watch it, so I wouldn't want to ruin the magic of the first time. Maybe in a few years when I've forgot the details!

Quick Reply

Latest